[Foundation-l] board candidacies

Sat Aug 12 02:34:56 UTC 2006

Anthere wrote:
> Alison Wheeler wrote:
>   
>> On Fri, August 11, 2006 21:43, Ray Saintonge wrote:
>>
>>     
>>> There is a clear distinction between paying a salary to a board member,
>>> and reimbursing him for out-of-pocket expenses.  The specific quote from
>>> Jimbo is "I have no interest in being paid."  I would not extrapolate
>>>       
>> >from that comment an inference that no-one should be paid.  On the other
>>     
>>> hand paying the airfare for key people to travel halfway around the
>>> world is perfectly acceptable.
>>>       
>> There is a test in the UK that the Inland Revenue (Taxation) use, which
>> basically tests an expenses payment as (I paraphrase) "was this cost
>> incurred wholly and directly as a result of an activity required by virtue
>> of the employment". This principle can be easily and clearly applied to
>> consideration of personal expenses in our situation; any costs in excess
>> of what the individual would have spent if they had not been carrying out
>> an activity on behalf od the Foundation is clearly covered.
>>
>> Conversely, I would *totally* disagree with
>>
>>     
>>> If someone wants to generously pay a board member to give a keynote
>>> speech that board member is entitled to keep it.  This is not a matter
>>> for our by-laws.
>>>       
>> If someone is given a speech *because* they are from the WMF and
>> *representing* the WMF at that presentation, then any fees received are
>> the 'income' of the WMF. Obviously, the costs involved with attending the
>> location to give that speech (which might include travel, hotel, etc)
>> would be payable by the WMF. One can't have it both ways (ie get a fee
>> *and* claim expenses)
>>
>> Alison Wheeler
>>     
>
> Yes
>
> BUT.
>
> The drawline is "being from the WMF" and "representing the WMF"
>
> It is somehow difficult to define when someone is giving speech because 
> he is from the WMF and representing the WMF, when this person may also 
> be giving the speech as the representant of another organisation (such 
> as Wikia for example), or when this person may also be invited to give a 
> speech just due to him being famous and having a good vision interesting 
> people.
>
>
> If WMF, then WMF should pay the costs and receive the fee.
> If Wikia, then Wikia should pay the costs and receive the fee possibly.
> If "self", then speaker should pay the costs and speaker gets the fee.
>
> Sometimes, it is really hard to know.
>
> ant
>
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>   

This determination should be the responsibility of the communications 
committee.  Outside requests for a speaker to represent the foundation 
should be directed to them.  It's their job to review speaker requests 
and then identify the best candidate from the organization and community 
to represent the foundation.  We have a number of great people in the 
community who should be encourage to handle these speaking requests.  
All reasonable expenses incurred by any speaker on behalf of the 
foundation will be reimbursed by the foundation through the 
communications committee's PR budget.  The communications committee has 
already started moving in this direction.  They're not 100% there yet 
but they are getting closer.

Anthere is correct - if a speaker is representing WMF then WMF receives 
the fee.  The board should enact an ethics policy stating this principle.

Michael